Retaining walls for NAM

[Jonathan]

Really Really Really Really Really Really Really Really Really Really should be included in the NAM. They are very very very very awesome, and defentaley much much much better than the current ones.

[Yoman]

These look incredible, but doesn't NAM have a no lots policy?

[mightygoose]

what i dont understand is why you dont just go the whole way and model new pieces for the elevated NAM networks... the ones we all use currently were only ever intended to be a temporary fix to test functionality. trouble is 7trumpets never got round to making the new models lol....

[Tarkus]

Yoman, you are correct that the NAM has a no-lots policy, so, as they currently stand, they would have to be issued as a third-party add-on, though, obviously, with the "endorsement" of a few NAM Team members (including myself).  

As far as ways to actually include them in the NAM, that's a good question.  If the models can be made to fit the guidelines in the Transit Modeling guide I wrote up (link in my sig), it may be possible to integrate them directly into the NAM.

There's also the possibility of T21ing the retaining walls on, too, in which case they could work similar to MIncroabl's El-Rail Facelift mod.

Some of the pieces (the Sunken Highway Avenue Exit piece) would probably be best integrated the way Xyloxadoria's currently doing, though, due to how that piece is structured.

Regardless, they look fantastic.

-Alex (Tarkus)

[jeronij]

There's also the possibility of T21ing the retaining walls on, too, in which case they could work similar to MIncroabl's El-Rail Facelift mod.
Regardless, they look fantastic.

I would support this option, since it would give us the option to have different models for different environements ( zone wealth/density related) in a quite easy way... some nice stone walls like the ones in the pictures for high wealth areas, and some dirty concrete ones for the low weatlh ones... just dreaming 


X, excellent work with the models so far, keep them coming   

[Xyloxadoria]

I would support this option, since it would give us the option to have different models for different environements ( zone wealth/density related) in a quite easy way... some nice stone walls like the ones in the pictures for high wealth areas, and some dirty concrete ones for the low weatlh ones... just dreaming 


X, excellent work with the models so far, keep them coming   

I also think that using T21's would be the best way to go as well. I was thinking of doing a low wealth version of my walls as well. Here is a pic:

I don't know if it is very realistic (There is only a year old bridge that looks like the high  wealth version around here)

I just know what t21's are and what they can do but i don't have the slightest clue as to using them. Is there a tutorial on using T21's or someone i could get help from? I assume you would need a low poly count. The wall in the pic i just posted is 170 polys. Is that low enough, i heard that the upper limit was around 600

on a side note i am going to be busy with RLS for a while again so I might not have updates for a while.

[Pat]

Xyloxadoria that indeed is something else wow!!! I do hope you could do some small updates once and in awhile here and take it easy with RL....

[Tarkus]

Well, with the T21s, they basically add props to the network piece, so the poly count doesn't apply.  The only issue is that you'd have to be careful with placing the pieces with the T21s on slopes. 

Swamper77 did a tutorial on T21s awhile ago, which jeronij posted here.  For the settings on the T21, since you're probably going to want them to show up under every tile, you'd want to set the kPropertyID_NetworkPlacementPattern to 0x0F, 0x0F, 0x0F, 0x0F.  You can also control the wealth levels and zone types the T21s show up under as listed in the tutorial.  You will likely be able to just copy the existing T21s for the puzzle pieces out of the NAM .dat files, and paste the appropriate LotConfig info from your lots into those T21s.

Hope that helps!

-Alex (Tarkus)

[nerdly_dood]

I LIKE IT.
A LOT.

I agree with putting it in as a T21, but only once the project has been completed.  As long as Xyloxadoria is still working on it, I think that they should be made available in the same format that they are now (overhanging props with a seemingly blank lot) in certain installments as work progresses.  The reason I say this is because, unless it will be released all at once as a T21, it would look strange if partially released as a T21 without all the elevated puzzle pieces etc. having the retaining wall, unless there were a transition piece for the wall to end while the network is still elevated. (Of course, this does not include FHW onramps and interchanges - they only have a little bit of elevated network, and that little bit cannot be moved or lengthened or repeated like a puzzle-piece network can)

Keep up the good work!

-said the nerd

[Haljackey]

Wow, excellent update Xyloxadoria!

Having two styles (low and high wealth) seem a bit excessive right now to me though.  It seems like a nice addition, but one will be enough for me.

Best of luck with the project!
-Haljackey

[superhands]

Xyloxadoria, i do like it. any chance of throwing in some pavement/whatever underneath the nam pieces? bit like buddybuds work. of course you don't have to since this is already great work!

[Xyloxadoria]

New Update

Replies
bighead99999: I will consider adding concrete to the sunken highway walls i am making, but probably not to the NAM Raised Road Walls

Progress
Ive been working on some sunken highway walls, and if i use the same vertical wall in the raised roads, it hides the side closest to the wall.

i don't know why there is a "hole" between just one segment like that, when all the others are seamless.


I have tried to do T21's for the raised roads but i have only been able to figure out to the point that you make a lot with the props on it. After that, i don't know how to add it to the actual NAM "Network Lot" file. I know which file to add it to (I think) I just can figure out how to get it to appear correctly.

I have a couple of questions with other things giving me trouble:
Do I have to render each piece out with the model centered at 0,0 for a 1x1 puzzle piece?
Which network lot should i use for puzzle pieces that are bigger than 1x1 in size?
Do I leave the zone and wealth blank if i want it to appear everywhere?

[Starmanw402007]

That wall looks good. Keep Up the great work.

[Swamper77]

I have a couple of questions with other things giving me trouble:
Do I have to render each piece out with the model centered at 0,0 for a 1x1 puzzle piece?
Which network lot should i use for puzzle pieces that are bigger than 1x1 in size?
Do I leave the zone and wealth blank if i want it to appear everywhere?

To use your walls with T21's for the puzzle pieces:

- The walls must be centered at the origin in GMAX/BAT at 0,0 with the base of the walls at ground level. They should also be cut-up into 1 tile lengths so they will stay with each section of the puzzle pieces that are larger than 1x1. All network tiles are 1x1 (16 meters on a side). There is no such thing as a "bigger network tile".

- For use with all zones and wealths, you have to specify them all:

Zones: 0x00,0x01,0x02,0x03,0x04,0x05,0x06,0x07,0x08,0x09,0x0A,0x0B,0x0C,0x0E,0x0F
Wealths: 0x00,0x001,0x02,0x03

The descriptions for all of these numbers are located in this tutorial: How to create T21 exemplars (Swamper77's way)

-Swamper

[smoncrie]

I agree that using T21's is a good way to do it.  There are a few details that you need to know.

   You need the NetworkTileId values for the T21's. The ID values are hard to find if you don't know
   the internal structure of the NAM.   Of course you can always ask!

   Many of the NAM tiles already have one or more T21's.  If so, you will need to modify them to add
   the LotConfigPropertyLotObject for your own prop.

   Most of the NAM models flex to match the terrain.  This means that you should specify a pivot point
   in your prop exemplar.  It also means that your prop should not be too big. (For example, it might
   work if it covers 3 tiles, but you might need to break it into separate props for each tile)

As an example, here are the ID's for the orthogonal rotations of the road ramp puzzle piece (3 tiles):

0X5020a000  (T21's: 0X5020a000, 0X5020a001, 0X5020a002, 0X5020a003)
0X5020a100  (T21's: 0X5020a100, 0X5020a101, 0X5020a102, 0X5020a103)
0X5020a200  (T21's: 0X5020a200, 0X5020a201, 0X5020a202, 0X5020a203)

As shown, each road ramp tile already has 4 T21's.   You can find them in NetworkAddonMod3.dat

[bat]

Yes, nice wall there! And nice progress on it!

[lucas]

Nice profect!!!

But your grass textural it's not beautiful... Take in the grass textural basic no??

[Pat]

Xyloxadoria that is looking real good there!!!

[Xyloxadoria]

I havent been working on this for a while becuse i have finals this week. I will resume work next week, but i have a three letter acronym (becaue most things do) it is the VFM
Viaduct
Facelift
Mod

Ill post progress when i start back again.

[Pat]

Can't wait for you to resume work here Xyloxadoria and take it easy with those finals!!! Study hard!!!